Posts from Before & After

We've all seen the reality shows where stylists ambush poor unsuspecting souls, insult their fashion sense, and then give them a brand new look by the end of the program. Usually the process involved taming frizzy hair, peeling off layers and layers of heavy makeup, and toning down wardrobe choices. Think of this bedroom "before" shot as the willing participant, and this next "after" photo as the new and improved, more sophisticated, version of its former self.

Sarah wanted this cedar-lined chest to serve as extra seating in her music room. Instead of simply upholstering the top, though, she was inspired by a White Stripes song to try something a little more advanced.

Lana's home was built in the 1930s, and the separate rooms made it tough to entertain. She was also lacking counter space on either side of the stove. See how she opened up the space while keeping the same layout:

While glad for the extra space, the addition made on Amanda and Dustin's Sears Kit home felt out of place. So, when they started an update on its bathroom, making it fit in with the rest of the home was a priority.

After spending a decade shuttling between Atlanta and Los Angeles for work, designer Brian Patrick Flynn decided that what he needed was a place to get away from it all. He found exactly what he was looking for in a 1,700 square foot cabin in the North Georgia mountains. The views were unrivaled, but the interiors, unfortunately, left a little to be desired.

With Erica and her husband hoping to sell their home, they wanted to differentiate their builder-grade kitchen from their neighbors'— without spending a ton of money. See how they transformed the space:

Kids love a good DIY just as much as big people do, and it's fun to see them get an opportunity to express their creativity. Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Alexander Robertson School, on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where Colorhouse Paints partnered with CITYarts, a public art initiative in New York, to create a huge mural on the wall of the school's auditorium. Well, Colorhouse provided the paint, the artists from CITYarts designed the mural — and the kids got to do the creating.